Television . . . the One-Eyed Monster

The early days of television and its impact on American life.

When television first arrived on the scene, it was a tremendous breakthrough in home entertainment.  Although the picture was a small black and white screen and there were problems with a "rolling" image and such things as vertical hold and horizontal hold, we thrilled to the free entertainment being offered on this new medium.

 

There was only one station in our area initially, WTAR Channel 4 in Norfolk, and it offered a variety of selected programming from all 3 of the major networks, CBS, NBC, and ABC, plus some local programs.  The broadcast day typically went from about 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. and the rest of the time, we had only a test pattern to look at.

 

Television sets at that time only had a channel selector from 2 through 9, and when WVEC began broadcasting on the Peninsula (Newport News, Hampton) on Channel 13, we had to have a "converter," a little box on top of the TV to pick up the new station.  Even then, reception was poor.  Not even a set of "rabbit ears" antenna seemed to help much.

 

My Aunt Mary and Uncle Joe were the first in our family to own a TV set.  It seemed they were always the first to have the latest gadgets of the day.  When I used to come home from Catholic boarding school on weekends, I always loved to go to Aunt Mary's on Friday nights to watch TV.  Programs such as THE BIG STORY, WE THE PEOPLE, THE HENRY MORGAN SHOW, AMOS 'N ANDY, and of course THE FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS were awesome to watch.  Aunt Mary always baked me a cherry pie for my "homecoming."

 

We finally got our own TV in 1953.  It wasn't long before WAVY, based in Portsmouth at the old Farmer's Market location, became the third broadcast outlet in the Tidewater area.  WAVY-TV, Channel 10, became the NBC affiliate.  WVEC carried ABC programming, while WTAR was the outlet for CBS.  The broadcast day quickly expanded to daytime hours.  The popular programs of the day included I LOVE LUCY, UNCLE MILTIE (Milton Berle), JACKIE GLEASON (The Honeymooners), THE COLGATE COMEDY HOUR, GEORGE BURNS AND GRACIE ALLEN, and of course, THE TOAST OF THE TOWN hosted by Ed Sullivan.  Live sports on TV also made an impact.

 

Over the years, I had quite a few favorite shows I watched on a regular basis.  Perhaps some of you will remember them as well.  Some of the best were:

 

ADVENTURES IN PARADISE-(ABC 1959-62)  Starring Gardner McKay as Captain Adam Troy, skipper of the schooner Tiki, and his adventures in the South Pacific.

ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS-(CBS/NBC 1955-62) Anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock.

ARTHUR GODFREY AND HIS FRIENDS-(CBS 1949-59) Variety show featuring the old redhead with regulars Janette Davis, Julius LaRosa, Lu Ann Simms, Frank Parker, the Mariners, Haleloke, Marion Marlowe, and the McGuire Sisters with announcer Tony Marvin.

THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES-(CBS 1962-71) Starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer as a simple backwoods family who became millionaires when oil was discovered on their property in the Ozark Mountains, resulting in their move to an upscale lifestyle in Beverly Hills, California.

THE COLGATE COMEDY HOUR-(NBC 1950-55) A comedy/variety hour featuring a different guest host each week.  Among the regulars were Eddie Cantor, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Abbott and Costello, Donald O'Conner, and Judy Canova.

DALLAS-(CBS 1978-91) Long-running prime time soap opera about the Ewing family and their even longer-running feud with the Barnes'.  A struggle for power and money in the Texas oil industry.  The show starred Larry Hagman as the man everyone loved to hate, J. R. Ewing, and Barbara Bel Geddes, Jim Davis, Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray, Steve Kanaly, Ken Kercheval, Victoria Principal, and Charlene Tilton.

THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW-(CBS 1961-66) Situation comedy about head writer Robert Petrie of "The Alan Brady Show," his wife Laura, and his two co-writers Buddy Sorrell and Sally Rogers.  Starring Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, and Larry Matthews, the show won four straight Emmys during its five-season run.

DOCTOR KILDARE-(NBC 1961-65) Medical drama about a young intern in a large metropolitan hospital, starring Richard Chamberlain and Raymond Massey.

THE DONNA REED SHOW-(CBS 1958-66) Situation comedy about the dreams, ambitions, and frustrations of the Stone family, starring Donna Reed, Carl Betz, the cute Shelley Faberes, and Paul Peterson.

DRAGNET-(NBC 1952-59, 1967-70) Police drama starring Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday and Ben Alexander, later Harry Morgan as his sidekicks, officers Frank Smith and Bill Gannon, respectively.

THE GARRY MOORE SHOW-(CBS 1958-64, 1966-67) A variety show hosted by Gary Moore and assisted by his regular announcer and sidekick, Durwood Kirby.

THE GEORGE BURNS AND GRACIE ALLEN SHOW-(CBS 1950-58) Situation comedy starring straight-man Burns and his zany, scatterbrained wife Allen, with their neighbors, the Mortons, played by Bea Benaderet and Fred Clark.

THE GEORGE GOBEL SHOW-(NBC 1954-59) A variety show featuring the comedy of "Lonesome George" Gobel and songs by "Pretty, perky Peggy King."

I LOVE LUCY-(CBS 1951-57) This landmark situation comedy chronicled the antics of the housewife Lucy, her Cuban bandleader husband Ricky, and their friends, neighbors, and landlords, the Mertzes.  Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley starred.

I'VE GOT A SECRET-(CBS 1952-67) Primetime game show hosted by Garry Moore with regular panelists Bill Cullen, Henry Morgan, Faye Emerson, Jayne Meadows, Betsy Palmer, and Bess Meyerson.

THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM-(CBS/NBC 1950-65) Comedy series starring Jack Benny with his wife Mary Livingston and valet Rochester (Eddie Anderson).  Other regulars included announcer Don Wilson, Dennis Day, and Mel Blanc.

THE JACKIE GLEASON SHOW/THE HONEYMOONERS-(CBS 1952-70) A variety hour highlighted by a comedy skit about the Kramdens, played by Jackie Gleason and Audrey Meadows, and their neighbors, the Nortons, played by Art Carney and Joyce Randolph.  Ralph Kramden's constant ventures into get-rich-quick schemes in which he involves Ed Norton inevitably backfire, to the frustrations of their wives, Alice and Trixie.  "The Honeymooners" eventually branched out with their own half-hour comedy show.

KNOTS LANDING-(CBS 1979-92) The most successful spin-off ever.  Further adventures of that other Ewing brother, outcast Gary, and his wife Val and their neighbors living on the same cul-de-sac in a small community in California.  The show starred Ted Shackelford, Joan Van Ark, Donna Mills, Nicollette Sheridan, Michelle Lee, Kevin Dobson, and William Devane, and the addition of Lisa Hartman to the cast raised the show to new levels.  Knots Landing outdid the original Dallas show, lasting 14 seasons.

THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW-(CBS 1970-77) After her successful stint on the Dick Van Dyke Show, MTM broke out with her own hit situation comedy, playing the part of Mary Richards, assistant producer of WJM-TV in Minneapolis.  Unlike the mousy housewife image of the earlier program, Mary was the epitome of the independent single career woman of the 70s.  The show co-starred Edward Asner as the grouchy news producer Lou Grant, Ted Knight as anchorman Ted Baxter, and Gavin MacLeod as head newswriter Murray Slaughter among her co-workers.  Mary's neighbors Rhoda Morgenstern (Valerie Harper) and Phyllis Lindstrom (Cloris Leachman) rounded out the cast.

MAVERICK-(ABC 1957-62) Tongue-in-cheek western featuring brothers Bret and Bart Maverick, gentlemen gamblers and exploiters of any rich victims they could find.  There were always plenty of pretty damsels-in-distress to rescue along the way, who always wound up getting the best of the Maverick brothers.  James Garner and Jack Kelly starred.

77 SUNSET STRIP-(ABC 1958-64) Detective drama starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roger Smith, Edd (Kookie) Byrnes, and Richard Long, set along Sunset Strip in California.

THE $64,000 QUESTION-(CBS 1955-58) Primetime quiz show hosted by Hal March.  When the contestants reached a certain level of winnings, they were put into an isolation booth to achieve a maximum level of concentration.  One of the biggest money-winners was Dr. Joyce Brothers, a woman psychiatrist whose expertise was boxing.

TEXACO STAR THEATRE/THE MILTON BERLE SHOW-(NBC 1948-56) "Mr. Television" Milton Berle starred in the most popular show of early television history, a comedy-variety hour with a vaudeville format.  Arnold Stang was "Uncle Miltie's" unwitting ploy and the show had numerous guest stars each week -- but the flamboyant Berle was the star.

TOAST OF THE TOWN/THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW-(CBS 1948-71) Variety show hosted by columnist Ed Sullivan, who introduced to TV audiences all over the world such performers as the Beatles and Elvis Presley.  Regulars on the show were Ray Bloch and his orchestra and the June Taylor Dancers.

TODAY-(NBC 1952-Present) Morning news program originally hosted by Dave Garroway, with sportscaster Jack Lescoulie, and featuring chimpanzee J. Fred Muggs.

VICTORY AT SEA-(NBC 1952-53) Documentary series about World War II, with an unforgettable music score composed by Richard Rogers.

THE VIRGINIAN-(NBC 1962-70) Western starring James Drury as the foreman of the Shiloh Ranch in Medicine Bow, Wyoming in the 1880s.  The show had a 90-minute format.

THE WALTONS-(CBS 1972-81) Life in the South during the depression is depicted in this drama about a family living in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.  The story is told through the eyes of John Boy, the eldest son, who has ambitions of becoming a writer.  Richard Thomas, Ralph Waite, Michael Learned, Will Geer, Ellen Corby, and Judy Norton-Taylor starred.  The show portrayed the Waltons as a family with strong traditional values that saw them through some hard times.

WHAT'S MY LINE?-(CBS 1950-67) Primetime game show hosted by John Daly, where regulars Arlene Francis, Dorothy Kilgallen, Bennett Cerf, and a guest panelist attempted to guess the occupation of the contestants.

YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS-(NBC 1950-54) Variety show starring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca, and introducing the comic talents of such performers as Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, and Howard Morris.

ZORRO-(ABC 1957-59) Disney's adaptation of the tales of the legendary masked avenger who battled the unjust rulers of the pueblo of Los Angeles during the days of Spanish rule.  Guy Williams starred as Don Diego de la Vega alias Zorro (Spanish for "The Fox").  His aide is Gene Sheldon as the mute Bernardo.  The chief adversary is the bumbling Sergeant Garcia, played by Henry Calvin, and Don Diego's father, Don Alejundro de la Vega is played by George J. Lewis.

 

That is a compilation of the 31 shows I have enjoyed most on television over the years.  If anyone reads this and would like to add some of your personal favorites to this list, I would welcome your comments.  I'm sure I have missed a lot.

 

TV also gave me exposure to big time sports: Major League Baseball, NBA basketball, NFL football, as well as ACC college basketball, Grand Slam Tennis, and other events.  Locally, I had pretty much been limited to high school football and basketball and minor league baseball that I could attend in person.

 

What is my all-time favorite TV show?  Until recently, I would have undoubtedly cast my vote for THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, a half-hour situation comedy in black-and-white during its five-season run.  Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, and Morey Amsterdam certainly presented some unforgettable moments.  Recently, though, those shows have been released on DVD and I watched, again, all 158 programs.  For the most part, except for a half-dozen or so episodes, I found the show to be pretty ordinary most of the time.

 

With a lot of the old TV series now available on DVD, I have been able to go back and revisit a few, notably DALLAS and KNOTS LANDING.  I had forgotten just how good the DALLAS episodes were, especially in the early days of the series, then how KNOTS LANDING improved and even ultimately exceeded the show which it had spun off from in 1979.

 

Now I seldom watch TV and certainly don't keep up with the current lineup of shows.  I use my television now mostly as an outlet for my DVD/VHS player to watch movies and for awhile as an internet appliance for Web-TV until I graduated to a personal computer in October of 2009.  Trying to watch a movie on TV is annoying.  There is about 5 minutes of movie, 10 minutes of commercials -- 5 minutes of movie, 10 minutes of commercials, etc.  Plus, they edit out several scenes of the film to fit into its 2-hour time frame.  If I see a movie that looks like it could be interesting, I just order it from Netflix and watch it in its entirety at my own convenience, complete and uninterrupted by commercials.

 

Somehow, I don't find the current crop of "situation comedies" funny at all.  The laugh tracks are insulting.  "Oh!  This is supposed to be funny.  You're supposed to laugh here."  I know, I know.  A lot of the older programs had them too.  Actually, at one time, some of them were filmed before a live audience.  Later, they added laugh tracks to keep the same "feel."  At least they were funny -- sometimes.

 

Network news has become so biased in promoting their own agenda, you really have to be selective on what sources you use to keep up with what's going on in the world.

 

Now that I am semi-retired, I finally subscribed to cable late in 2006 and just upgraded from basic this year.  Now I get a chance to follow my favorite teams more than just an occasional "Game of the Week" or if they make the post-season.

 

I try to keep TV in perspective -- just an occasional divertissement.  It's possible to get "hooked" to the point your whole life revolves around it.  Some folks don't even know their neighbors.  More and more we are becoming isolated.  Some of the widows in the senior citizens apartments (independent living) where I live play their TVs all day and even all night "just to have a voice in the house."  Some of them are terribly lonely for companionship.  Parents use TV as a "babysitter" instead of getting involved in their children's lives.  As with everything else that demands our time and attention, moderation is the key.  It is nice to take a stroll down memory lane, however.

 

Reviews

[Samuel Dickens]

This is fantastic, and brings back memories from long ago. We got our first TV in '57 and as I recall, Dad paid $40.00 for a used TV and $75.00 for the antennae. In the beginning, I think we picked up one channel, although those who lived on high hilltops could sometimes get three. Which did you like best--twisting the antennae or thumping on the window and yelling, "That's good. No, no, go back the other way!"
I very much agree with you about today's programs, and no longer watch much of anything on regular TV. Some of my favorites were "Gunsmoke", "Have gun, will travel" and "The Twilight Zone".